Blood of the Mantis
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4.5 • 31 Ratings
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
Driven by the ghosts of the Darakyon, the seer Achaeos has tracked the stolen Shadow Box to the marsh-town of Jerez – but he has only days before this magical artefact is lost to him forever.
Meanwhile, the forces of the Empire are mustering for their next great offensive. Stenwold and his followers have only a short time to gather what allies they can before the enemy soldiers are on the march again, conquering everything in their path. And if they cannot hold them back before spring, then the hated black and gold flag will fly over every city in the Lowlands before the year's end.
And should the Shadow Box fall into the hands of the power-mad Emperor, then nothing will save the world from his relentless ambition.
‘This is not your regular run of the mill fantasy world’
GraemesFantasyBookReview.com
‘A unique voice in the fantasy industry and this book is a great addition to an epic and complex story’ WalkerofWorlds.com
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tchaikovsky's third Shadows of the Apt novel (after 2010's Dragonfly Falling) finds his steampunk-flavored sword and sorcery world, once dominated by the magic-wielding inapt, now threatened by the insatiable and technologically apt Wasp Empire. The empire, heretofore the beneficiary of the mutual distrust and disunity among Lowlanders, begins to falter as external threats bring the Lowlands together, diplomatic ruses go horribly awry, and the empire's habitual abuse of its subjects leads to internal discord. Its only hope now lies in a small wooden box that holds the promise of power but may deliver only nightmares. New readers may struggle to keep up as Tchaikovsky puts his large cast through its paces, introduces secretive assassins of a forgotten race, and heaps on plot twists with a generous hand.
Customer Reviews
Fresh and vibrant
Adrian Tchaikovsky breathes fresh life and interpretation into fantasy fiction rather than the usual elves/dwarves/orcs formula.
Shame the earlier parts of this series aren't available on this store seemingly.